contained one of their own.
"They're here," one reported, after peeking into the first cell.
Most of his associates scattered around to explore the rest of the rooms, leaving only two guys to guard the three shifters. This was as close to a chance to escape as they'd ever get, but still it seemed too risky to do anything rash.
"How the hell did they find our location?" Heidi whispered. She kept her volume so low, it would have been nearly impossible for human ears to pick up her words, but obviously Jamie and Kyle didn't have that problem.
"No idea," Jamie responded.
"Alison," Kyle mumbled.
Jamie tensed at his suggestion. "No way."
"He has a point. Our position has never been compromised before. Now these people turn up mere days after calling her in? It can't be a coincidence," Heidi remarked.
Jamie felt a red haze descend over his senses. It was an impossibility for Alison to betray him, put him in danger. But he couldn't very well tell these two that, could he? He couldn't reveal how he knew Alison was innocent. It was one thing for two shifters of opposing species to pair up, but a bear and a human? That was almost unheard of.
"I'm not convinced she's given us her real identity. Looking into it, there are precious few records mentioning an Alison Carter that fit her profile." Kyle gave Jamie a thoughtful look.
Jamie balled his fists and took a deep breath to regain his composure. He focused on Kyle again.
"We'll figure it out. But a good investigator rules out other options before being absolutely certain of a suspect's guilt. Remember that," Jamie said.
"Sure thing, Boss." Heidi nodded.
Kyle didn't look convinced, but didn't argue further.
This was a bloody nightmare. With the Alliance pick-up barely an hour out, he'd lost the prisoners. If they couldn't somehow recover the situation, the three of them could be killed. And who knew what the Sons would do with the intel they'd recover from the office eliminating them? This one incident could tilt the fight entirely in their favor.
Once the dust settled on today's events, the Alliance council would no doubt come to the same conclusion as Kyle and Heidi. It wouldn't be so difficult to figure out Alison's real identity, and that would be the end of it. They'd come after her next.
Something had to be done.
Chapter Eight
Alison couldn't explain exactly what happened to her at around eleven that morning, but it wasn't good. Her stomach was in knots and even though it was an unseasonably nice, bright day, she felt trapped and skittish under the blue skies. Something was very, very wrong.
Was she coming down with something? Caught a cold, perhaps?
That couldn't explain her paranoia. No, it must be something else.
After pacing around her little flat for a good fifteen minutes, unable to find rest or figure out what she should do with herself, she finally knew she needed a change of scenery. Alison put on her coat and rushed out the door.
While wondering if a walk in the park would do her some good, her feet carried her forward almost involuntarily. She walked on and on until she realized she was getting close to the edge of town, heading toward the neighborhood where the Alliance building was located.
Jamie
.
She had to see Jamie. He would know what to do.
Alison's throat felt tight, like an invisible hand had grabbed hold of her and squeezed her tight.
The closer she got, the faster she walked, until she was ready to break into a jog. It was crazy, like one of those dreams in which someone's chasing you. Of course that was silly. No matter how often she looked back, there was nobody in sight.
She was out of breath by the time she reached the door where she'd seen Jamie for the first time. It was shut and there was no sign of activity anywhere in the building. If she didn't know any better, the state the dilapidated warehouse was in would have suggested it was abandoned.
With her heart still pounding in her chest, she took a step back to look up. The
"They're here," one reported, after peeking into the first cell.
Most of his associates scattered around to explore the rest of the rooms, leaving only two guys to guard the three shifters. This was as close to a chance to escape as they'd ever get, but still it seemed too risky to do anything rash.
"How the hell did they find our location?" Heidi whispered. She kept her volume so low, it would have been nearly impossible for human ears to pick up her words, but obviously Jamie and Kyle didn't have that problem.
"No idea," Jamie responded.
"Alison," Kyle mumbled.
Jamie tensed at his suggestion. "No way."
"He has a point. Our position has never been compromised before. Now these people turn up mere days after calling her in? It can't be a coincidence," Heidi remarked.
Jamie felt a red haze descend over his senses. It was an impossibility for Alison to betray him, put him in danger. But he couldn't very well tell these two that, could he? He couldn't reveal how he knew Alison was innocent. It was one thing for two shifters of opposing species to pair up, but a bear and a human? That was almost unheard of.
"I'm not convinced she's given us her real identity. Looking into it, there are precious few records mentioning an Alison Carter that fit her profile." Kyle gave Jamie a thoughtful look.
Jamie balled his fists and took a deep breath to regain his composure. He focused on Kyle again.
"We'll figure it out. But a good investigator rules out other options before being absolutely certain of a suspect's guilt. Remember that," Jamie said.
"Sure thing, Boss." Heidi nodded.
Kyle didn't look convinced, but didn't argue further.
This was a bloody nightmare. With the Alliance pick-up barely an hour out, he'd lost the prisoners. If they couldn't somehow recover the situation, the three of them could be killed. And who knew what the Sons would do with the intel they'd recover from the office eliminating them? This one incident could tilt the fight entirely in their favor.
Once the dust settled on today's events, the Alliance council would no doubt come to the same conclusion as Kyle and Heidi. It wouldn't be so difficult to figure out Alison's real identity, and that would be the end of it. They'd come after her next.
Something had to be done.
Chapter Eight
Alison couldn't explain exactly what happened to her at around eleven that morning, but it wasn't good. Her stomach was in knots and even though it was an unseasonably nice, bright day, she felt trapped and skittish under the blue skies. Something was very, very wrong.
Was she coming down with something? Caught a cold, perhaps?
That couldn't explain her paranoia. No, it must be something else.
After pacing around her little flat for a good fifteen minutes, unable to find rest or figure out what she should do with herself, she finally knew she needed a change of scenery. Alison put on her coat and rushed out the door.
While wondering if a walk in the park would do her some good, her feet carried her forward almost involuntarily. She walked on and on until she realized she was getting close to the edge of town, heading toward the neighborhood where the Alliance building was located.
Jamie
.
She had to see Jamie. He would know what to do.
Alison's throat felt tight, like an invisible hand had grabbed hold of her and squeezed her tight.
The closer she got, the faster she walked, until she was ready to break into a jog. It was crazy, like one of those dreams in which someone's chasing you. Of course that was silly. No matter how often she looked back, there was nobody in sight.
She was out of breath by the time she reached the door where she'd seen Jamie for the first time. It was shut and there was no sign of activity anywhere in the building. If she didn't know any better, the state the dilapidated warehouse was in would have suggested it was abandoned.
With her heart still pounding in her chest, she took a step back to look up. The
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